Own the Phone; Trust; How You Make It, How You Take It; The Harder They Fall; Econ Recon

Own the Phone, or be Owned by it

Good habits are hard to acquire and bad habits are hard to break…and our dependence on smart phones doesn’t seem to helping in getting rid of the bad ones…until now. This short HBR article provides some great insights into habits good and bad, and offers some interesting technology options for dealing with both. Spend a few minutes to learn “How Your Phone Can Help You Set Better Habits.”

Trust

In the late 1950s, 78% of Americans trusted their government. To find out what the number is today, check out Peggy Noonan’s recent WSJ article “We Must Improve Our Trust” for some insights into how we got to the current state of mistrust and what we might do about it. Ms. Noonan takes the President, Congress and the culture to task, and suggests we ask ourselves if we’re part of the problem, or part of the solution. Worthwhile reading for everyone, no matter where you lie on the political spectrum.

How You Make It, How You Take It

We create much of our own reality by our actions, but much of what happens to us is beyond our control. In the latter instance, how we decide to respond can not only impact our well-being, but can often by itself create a new outcome, as this short video of a driver and passenger will attest, life is about how you make it…. and how you take it! . 

The Smaller They are, The Harder They Fall

It seems that hardly a month goes by that a large, well known company’s most important information gets hacked. Far less public are the stories of small to medium size business that are far more adversely affected by a hack than larger companies due to their smaller size and resources.   

Vistage Chief Research Officer Joe Galvin and Vistage IT Security Speaker (and Member) Michael Markulec, provide a quick video primer from the floor of the NYSE  of what every SMB owner or CEO should know about IT Security. Share it with the all members of your organization as well….because it’s everyone’s job!

Econ Recon:

Not So Great News: Housing is always an important part of the economy, and the residential real estate market is hot! But will it stay that way and keep us out of recession? Alan Beaulieu of ITR Economics sees cause for concern and says that the trend in housing permits is not good news!